Drinks after (and during) Sripraphai

I'm finally getting to go to Sripraphai on Wednesday night with an old friend. We'll want to hang out a bit longer than a meal, though. Can anyone recommend a good place to get a drink nearby, preferrably towards Jackson Heights, where we'll have to get the train later? And by the way, does Srip serve beer, or is it byob?

Well, if you ever make it there, there's not a lot of great drinking options between Sri and Jackson Heights. Closer to the Woodside/61st St train station are a bunch of Irish pubs, which are always good for a pint or two with friends. I like Cuckoos Nest. The Dugout is right near the train station, just to name two. These are not going to be cosmo/mojito places, if that is what you are looking for.

If you have to head towards JH, the only thing I can think of between Sri and JH is Legends Bar, where they also have Texas Ranger BBQ. that's on 35th Ave around 71st St I think. It is a sports bar, so again, no Chianti or splashy cocktails, but you can get a decent beer and catch the Yankees.

I went to Sripraphai last fall for the birthday of a friend. Afterward, we went to an Irish pub on Roosevelt just west of the restaurant. Can't remember the name, but I loved the atmosphere, and I'm not usually an Irish pub fan. There was a big four-sided bar in the middle of the main room (like an island), with a lot of semi-private little sitting rooms with comfy chairs and couches in little alcoves off to the sides. I had made a birthday pie for dessert, and we enjoyed it with our drinks in what felt like our own living room, but better, cause it was a bar.

Right next to Sri is a Mexican "Sports" Bar, which is one of those places where single men come to drink some beer and banter with the scantily-clad waitresses. Over towards Jackson Heights, there really isn't much. Closest place to the subway I've been in is the Ready Penny on 73rd St. just south of 37th Ave. (a rather long block north of the Roosevelt-Broadway intersection in front of the subway stop). It's OK, but pretty bare bones.

Not sure if Chang beer is listed on Sripraphai's menu, but they have it, bottles. Chang is DELICIOUS, almost as delicious as ... (*sob*)... BeerLao --.(they also have Heinekin, Singha, something like Coors Light, but why would you do that, when there's Chang..).

Also, on their 'specials,' they have an excellent seafood dish with 'rhizome' and whole green peppercorns. phenomenal.